


Potential Possibilities - Trust, Honor, and Respect

by rebelrsr



Series: Potential Possibilities [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Dom/sub, F/F, Kink Negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 04:53:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14181138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelrsr/pseuds/rebelrsr
Summary: Kennedy realizes that her relationship with Tara may not be as simple as she'd anticipated





	Potential Possibilities - Trust, Honor, and Respect

**Author's Note:**

> It was a bit more difficult to return to this 'verse than I thought. Like Kennedy, I underestimated the complexity of Kennedy's new relationship with Tara. This is a bit more introspective than I'd originally planned. 
> 
> Once again, this hasn't been beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

She should have listened to Tara. Kennedy clenched her fists and bit back a hot response to the smirking Junior Slayer across the mat from her.

Tara had been right. So fucking right. The collar on Kennedy’s neck was a bright beacon. Every single sparring partner she’d had today had stared at it. Found some way to comment. And the few who had been close enough to the Training Barn the day before and witnessed Kennedy slinking out at Tara’s heels… They had been the most vicious.

Like Caroline, the bitch mouthing off right now. “Does Tara whistle for you? Like a dog?” The kid was new. Newer than Kennedy, anyway. Yet she’d clearly gotten the impression that Kennedy was going to sit back and let this go.

Kennedy lunged forward. She threw a punch that might have made her anger clear if it had landed. It didn’t. Instead, it bounced off a wall of solid muscle as Kirstan stepped between Kennedy and Caroline.

“Three laps around the North Field,” she snapped at Kennedy.

“Fuck you!” Kennedy glared at the older Slayer. “I didn’t do anything!”

One of Kirstan’s eyebrows twitched. “You weren’t about to break Caroline’s jaw?” Kennedy had nothing to say. Except maybe that it wouldn’t have been Caroline’s _jaw._ It might have been her nose. “And I’m fairly certain Jenny’s got rules about language.” Kirstan moved in closer, and Kennedy automatically stepped away. “Five laps now. Go!”

No way was she running those laps. Kennedy met Kirstan’s stare and regained lost ground.

The collar at her neck tingled. Warmed. The damned thing let Tara watch her all the time? Was it going to shock her if she crossed some invisible line in the yard?  Or was it her own knowledge that Tara wouldn’t be happy with the way she’d been behaving playing with her mind? Making her imagine the collar was Tara’s eyes and ears spying on her.

It wouldn’t matter one way or the other if the fucking Juniors weren’t pushing her buttons. Turning her relationship into something sick and wrong. Something to laugh at.

Any remorse Kennedy felt drowned beneath the wave of snide comments playing and replaying in her mind. She jogged out of the Training Barn. Five fucking laps. Each step, each crunch of gravel under her feet, pushed the flames of anger higher. The collar was tight against her neck as Kennedy left the cluster of buildings behind and began her first lap of the North Field.

Kennedy was used to anger. She’d used it to fight her way to the top of the Slayer ranks when she’d arrived in England. It motivated her. Made her stronger and faster. It pushed back the exhaustion and fear. The ache of loneliness and despair.

Today, the anger only made her tired. One lap in, and Kennedy’s feet were leaden. Breath rasped in her burning lungs. All her life, Kennedy had stood apart. First because of her family’s wealth. Then because she’d been Chosen. People hated her because of who and what she was.

Tara had warned her yesterday. _“The collar will clearly show our relationship, Kenn. Can you do that? Do you even want to? It’s going to be hard enough learning to serve me. Can you also adjust your self-image to be proud of the collar?”_

Less than twenty-four hours later, Kennedy had been ready to flatten another Slayer for commenting on the collar that Kennedy had begged to wear. Forget any self-esteem issues and being proud of the collar. She’d failed spectacularly at one of the first rules Tara had set for her.

_Kennedy hugged the couch pillow and stared at the carpet. No way could she meet Tara’s eyes as they talked about…about things Kennedy had never heard of. Let alone thought about doing with another person. Or people. Or alone._

_“W-want to scoot over?” Goddess, she loved Tara’s voice. “You can even bring your friend.” When Kennedy managed to look up, Tara was smiling slightly. One hand hovered in the space between them. “I hug you. You hug the pillow. We all g-get what we want.”_

_Tempting. So very tempting. Kennedy scrambled across the couch and felt Tara’s satisfied hum vibrate through her as Tara cuddled Kennedy in her lap. Warm and comforting – with the added bonus of hiding her face in Tara’s neck. No eye contact required._

_“Let’s take a break from the list, OK?” There was a rustle and a tiny click as Tara set the clipboard and pen on the end table._

_Some of Kennedy’s discomfort faded. “OK,” she agreed. Her lips skimmed Tara’s neck. Goosebumps sprang up in their wake. A cocky smirk appeared; although, Kennedy knew Tara couldn’t see it._

_Fingers twined in Kennedy’s hair. Not to hold her lips to Tara’s favorite spot (as Kennedy expected), but to grip tightly. To pull Kennedy’s head from its hiding place. Twin pools of blue ice stared down at her. “What did I say we would be doing tonight, Kenn?”_

_Smirk morphing into a pout, Kennedy muttered, “Talking.”_

_“Good girl.” Why did that soft phrase carry a bigger wallop than a vampire’s punch? Kennedy shuddered beneath the warm impact. “Tonight is for talking about what you and I want from each other. Limits. Likes. Needs.” Tara’s grip on Kennedy’s hair loosened until her nails scraped gently against Kennedy’s scalp. Their rhythm was hypnotic. “One of the things I want from you, sweetie, is respect.”_

_Kennedy started at Tara in confusion. What?_

_A kiss pressed to her temple. “It’s more than calling me ‘my Lady’, Kenn. Respect is following an order even when it makes you uncomfortable. It’s keeping control of your emotions, your **wants** , because I require it.”_

“Sure as fuck missed that one.” Kennedy stopped pretending to run. She climbed the fence rails along the path and settled onto the top. Horses grazed in the distance. The farm was beautiful, but Kennedy didn’t see the bucolic scene. She was focused inward.

Tara had asked her to stay in control. She’d included it in their contract. The long-ass list of questions about sex acts, tools and toys, and preferences. Beneath the pre-printed items, Tara had included a list of three things that she wanted from Kennedy in their relationship. Only three. Respect had been at the top.

_Respect. Honesty. Trust._

Kennedy hadn’t really thought about what they meant, despite the hours of talking the night before. They’d been words on a page.

Goddess damn it, Tara had been right. Wearing Tara’s training collar was going to suck. She climbed off the fence and started running – this time with every bit of Slayer speed she could find. Kirstan had said five laps of the North Field. Kennedy had four and a half to go.

Once she was finished… She had a witch with the prettiest blue eyes to impress and respect. Kennedy might have preferred to do both items while horizontal in a bed. The collar and the contract meant her preferences weren’t always the most important item on her daily agenda.


End file.
